DIY Gifts For Dad – Gifts To Make For All Ages And Skill Sets

This Father’s Day, celebrate dad with a handmade gift from the heart. Go above and beyond this year with a great gift that won’t put a dent in your wallet. Whether he’s a grill guy, an athlete, a businessman, or the life of the party, these five simple DIY gifts are a great way to show dad how much you care.

Customized Apron

Instead of making dad the same old personalized t-shirt every year, switch it up with a customized apron. Start with a blank apron in cotton or natural linen. Buy a few stamps as well as fabric paint and let the creative juices flow. You can let the kids stamp the apron and save the monogramming for mom. Dad will be all smiles as soon as he puts on his personalized apron and fires up the grill.

Marathon Medal Display

Let dad know you’re his biggest fan with this easy DIY medal display. Start with a piece of rectangular wood that can be purchased pre-cut at a hardware store, or use a piece of scrap wood that has been sanded a bit. Next, add a layer of acrylic paint. Once dry, you can apply vinyl letters to the board to make custom sayings like, “Number One Dad,” or, “Run, Swim, Sweat.” Then, drill holes where you’d like to add the square hooks you picked up from your local hardware store. To hang the board, add a few sawtooth picture hangers to the back. Dad can finally grab those medals from the closet and hang them with pride on the best Father’s Day gift to date.

Lavender Mint Shaving Cream

Regularly shaving your face can take a harsh toll. Do dad’s skin a favor this year with this easy all natural shaving cream recipe. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1/3 cup of shea butter with 1/3 cup of coconut oil until melted, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a medium sized bowl and add a 1/4 cup of almond or jojoba oil. To finish, pour in ten drops of lavender essential oil followed by five drops of peppermint oil and stir to combine. Place the bowl in a refrigerator to chill until solid. Then using a mixer, blend the mixture until you reach a creamy consistency. Not only will dad leave the house smelling like a million bucks, but he’ll feel like it, too.

Bottle Opener

Get ready to crack open a cold one. This simple DIY wooden bottle opener is what man cave dreams are made of. To start, you’ll need one 21”, one 6” and three 4” pieces of thin wood. You can buy the wood from your local hardware store pre-cut, or use wood scraps and a hand saw to get the desired pieces you need. Next, attach the 4” pieces of wood together forming a “U” shape with wood glue followed by a few finishing nails. With that same wood glue, attach the 6” piece on one side of the “U” to make an unfinished cube. Again, add a few finishing nails so that the wood is secure. On the opposite side of the “U,” add more wood glue to the edges and attach the incomplete cube to one end of the 21” piece of wood so that the bottom of the cube is covered, the front is covered, and the top is uncovered, followed by a few nails to keep it all in place. This will be the “bucket” to catch the bottle caps. Finally, purchase an attachable bottle opener and fix to the 21” board at the top so that the box is under the opener to catch the caps fastened on by two screws. Finish it off with two metal brackets around the edges of the “bucket” for good measure. Add in a six pack of dad’s favorite brew and you have yourself a winning Father’s Day gift.

Remote Caddy

What’s a Father’s Day without a little R&R? Save dad the frustration of always looking for those disappearing remotes with a simple remote caddy that drapes across the armrest of the couch. To start, measure the perfect dimensions for your caddy so that it can be tucked between the couch cushion and armrest with extra length to drape over. Once you’ve figured out a good width and length, create a base with a good quilting batting. Next, in a fabric of your choice, sew the material onto the batting on one side. You can use a sewing machine if you have one, or if you prefer to sew by hand, make sure to fold the fabric over the edges so that you cover them completely on both sides and trim the excess fabric off the unseen side. For the pocket, you can use the same fabric or a new pattern/color. Measure how high you want the pocket to go (with a bit extra to fold over the edges,) and again sew over the edges atop the previous fabric and batting to create your pocket. For an added bonus, you can measure and sew a few lines down the middle of the pocket to make dividers for each remote. Movie night just got a whole lot easier.